Janet Hemingway is an entomologist who, as an undergraduate, was inspired to study how mosquitoes become resistant to insecticide and is now the global leader in the field. She was the first to discover simultaneous changes in multiple genes controlling the rapidly evolving enzyme systems that enable carriers of malaria and other diseases to evade eradication.
Having spent long periods working alongside local teams in malaria-endemic countries such as Malawi and Mexico, Janet developed skills that extend ‘from bench to bush’. She has collected large-scale data on factors such as the timing and dosage of insecticide spraying to minimise resistance, bringing new rigor to the monitoring and evaluation of disease control strategies.
From her independent standpoint, Janet has engaged with the agrochemicals industry, helping to establish and lead the Innovative Vector Control Consortium and stimulating the development of new pesticides. Her authoritative advice to policymakers in Africa and Latin America continues to save lives.
Subject groups
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Patterns in Populations
Organismal biology (including invertebrate and vertebrate zoology)
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Health and Human Sciences
Medicine, clinical studies
